| 4. | YOHANNA: | Your Highness, please sit down. You should have sent for
me instead of coming here. |
| 5. | ABAH MANU: | (CLEARS THROAT, EMBARRASSED) Well...ehm... |
| 6. | YOHANNA: | Please sit down. Can I get you herb tea while we...? |
| 7. | ABAH MANU: | (FRANTICALLY) No, no, no! (IN LOW TONE) Are we alone? |
| 8. | YOHANNA: | Oh yes, nobody enters this place unless I ... |
| 9. | ABAH MANU: | (BLURTS OUT) I need your help! |
| 10. | YOHANNA: | What exactly is the problem? |
| 11. | ABAH M: | Well... (EMBARRASSED)... ehm ... it's Babi... she... |
| 12. | YOHANNA: | Oh, she's pregnant! |
| 13. | ABAH M: | Oh no! Not at all. |
| 14. | YOHANNA: | Then what is wrong with her? |
| 15. | ABAH MANU: | (LAUGHS, EMBARRASSED) You know women and
their problems ... |
| 16. | YOHANNA: | Is she bleeding at the wrong time? |
| 17. | ABAH MANU: | (BLURTS OUT) She has threatened to leave me if I don't
improve my...ehm you know...ehm ... |
| 18. | SFX: | AWKWARD SILENCE |
| 19. | YOHANNA: | Your Highness, do you mean your sexual performance? |
| 20. | ABAH MANU: | Sssshh ...not so loud! |
| 21. | YOHANNA: | I am sure we can get to the root of the matter in no time. |
| 22. | ABAH MANU: | Yes, I am sure a small tonic will ... (DOUBTFULLY) ...
but do you think my enemies are at it again? |
| 23. | YOHANNA: | No. What would anyone gain from that? |
| 24. | ABAH MANU: | Well, you know I have beautiful wives and some of them
had suitors before I came for their hand... |
| 25. | YOHANNA: | (TAKES A DEEP BREATH) Your Highness, this
problem is common and it often has a cure. |
| 26. | ABAH MANU: | (DEEP SIGH OF RELIEF) Thank God. You mean you
have a herb for me to use immediately? |
| 27. | YOHANNA: | Well it depends... is it that you are impotent or... |
| 28. | ABAH MANU: | (HASTILY) God forbid! (HESITATES) It's just that Babi wants more than I can give... ahh, God forbid I am not impotent. After all (SHEEPISH LAUGHTER) I am the true son of my father... he had 32 children! I am not doing badly myself. |
| 29. | YOHANNA: | Do you have any fever? |
| 30. | ABAH MANU: | No. |
| 31. | YOHANNA: | Headache? |
| 32. | ABAH MANU: | No. |
| 33. | YOHANNA: | Any pain anywhere? |
| 34. | ABAH MANU: | Not at all. |
| 35. | YOHANNA: | Well, your Highness... in this case love for one's partner is
the best medicine for strength to satisfy one another. |
| 36. | ABAH MANU: | But the problem is that I don't have the strength to keep up
with her demands. I am sure there are herbs that people take for such problems. |
| 37. | YOHANNA: | Unfortunately, I don't believe that herbs really take care of
the problem all the time. I believe that rest, good food, no worries and the woman you truly love... |
| 38. | ABAH MANU: | (CUTS IN) Yohanna, just get me the herbs. |
| 39. | YOHANNA: | Very well, your Majesty. I shall look into what herbs may
be suitable. Come back tonight and I shall have something ready for you. |
| 40. | ABAH MANU: | Thank you, Yohanna. (SELF CONSCIOUS LAUGH) Eh
... perhaps you could send your daughter... (HASTILY) or maybe not... |
| 41. | YOHANNA: | As you wish, your Highness. |
| 42. | ABAH MANU: | Time flies. I was here sometime ago and was pleasantly surprised to see that your daughter has grown up to be a very beautiful woman. |
| 43. | YOHANNA: | (A BIT COLD) Oh yes... children grow up very fast these
days. |
|
| 44. | ABAH MANU: | So what plans are being made to find her a suitable
husband? |
| 45. | YOHANNA: | I trust Zara will fall in love and marry the man of her
choice when she is ready. |
| 46. | ABAH MANU: | (DISAPPROVINGLY) Are you not being too liberal and
modern? Suppose she chooses somebody you do not
approve of? |
| 47. | YOHANNA: | Well, that will be her choice. Remember that you can take a
horse to water but you cannot force it to drink. | |
| 48. | ABAH MANU: | (SHEEPISHLY) Anyway, why don't you consider giving
her to me? She will make a beautiful King's wife and I will make her happy. |
| 49. | YOHANNA: | (SARCASTIC) Really? |
| 50. | ABAH MANU: | (BOASTING) Don't you know what I can do? |
| 51. | YOHANNA: | (LAUGHING SARCASTICALLY, DISMISSING THE IDEA) Ah ... Your Highness, you yourself confessed that your hands are already full with your wives Halima, Titi and especially Babi... Are you sure my Zara would not be the death of you? |
| 52. | MUSIC: | BRIDGE MUSIC UP AND FADE UNDER... |
| Garam & Zara in front of Zara's house |
| 53. | GARAM: | Good day, my beautiful princess. I have come to see your
mother about some items she requested. |
| 54. | ZARA: | (HOSTILE) I am not your princess and she is not my
mother! |
| 55. | GARAM: | (TEASING) Ok, our beautiful princess. |
| 56. | ZARA: | Save your charm. My father's wife has done a good job of
selling off all my mother's property. |
| 57. | GARAM: | That is not... |
| 58. | ZARA: | I wonder how you can sleep at night knowing that some of
the goods you buy are stolen. |
| 59. | GARAM: | Zara, it's not like that. |
| 60. | ZARA: | How is it, Garam, you that knew my mother well? |
| 61. | GARAM: | I really don't have an ... |
| 62. | ZARA: | (HISSES AND CUTS IN) I wonder which of my mother's
things she is exchanging today. That woman has stolen almost all that my mother left for Hassan and me. |
| 63. | GARAM: | (PLACATING) Zara, you have my sincerest apologies. |
| 64. | ZARA: | Of course that is the best solution ... apologies. |
| 65. | GARAM: | I did indeed accept some items knowing that they were
your late mother's. |
| 66. | ZARA: | And so, of course, that is why I am now the proud owner of
your apologies! |
| 67. | GARAM: | That is why I have brought them back... |
| 68. | ZARA: | (CONTINUES) I don't know why people always feel that
once they apologize... (STOPS).... What did you say? |
| 69. | GARAM: | I brought your mother's things back. |
| 70. | ZARA: | (HAPPY) Are you serious? Did you really bring my
mother's things back? |
| 71. | GARAM: | I could not bring myself to trade them. |
| 72. | ZARA: | (CAUTIOUSLY) Oh... I see... so how much will I have
to pay you for them? |
| 73. | GARAM: | Nothing. |
| 74. | ZARA: | How is that possible? You paid money for them. My
father's wife will never pay you back. |
| 75. | GARAM: | Of course. I don't expect her to. Money isn't everything. |
| 76. | ZARA: | I can pay by instalments till... |
| 77. | GARAM: | Please, Zara, let's leave it, ok. (CHANGES SUBJECT) So
how's your father doing by the way? |
| 78. | ZARA: | Garam, you are a good man after all... thank you. |
| 79. | GARAM: | (TEASING) So can I call you princess now? I hate to see
you frown. | |
| 80. | ZARA: | (IGNORING HIM) My father is at the palace. There is a
meeting about cutting down the forest so that more vegetables can be grown. |
| 81. | GARAM: | So this madness has reached Mabudi too. |
| 82. | ZARA: | What madness? |
| 83. | GARAM: | Well, you know I would never say anything against traders
(HE CHUCKLES) ... But there are a few greedy ones who are going around convincing farmers to cultivate only vegetables, even on the most unsuitable lands, just so that they will have truckloads of produce to sell. |
| 84. | ZARA: | So what is wrong with that? |
| 85. | GARAM: | The land and the community suffer later. |
| 86. | ZARA: | That is hard to believe. |
| 87. | GARAM: | Let me just say that trees and plants are valuable. |
| 88. | ZARA: | I know that. |
| 89. | GARAM: | Not just as timber and fuel but to protect the land. |
| 90. | ZARA: | Protect from what or who? |
| 91. | GARAM: | From erosion ... wind, flood, even the hot sun... and to
safeguard groundwater |
| 92. | ZARA: | So you're saying we need the forests around us? |
| 93. | GARAM: | Exactly! If not, the desert will come closer and closer until
the community will have to move away in search of better land. I've seen it happen in many places. |
| 94. | ZARA: | That is unfortunate because it seems that everyone in
Mabudi wants the forest cleared so that they can plant more vegetables. |
| 95. | GARAM: | Really? I hope they will vote against it. I have seen places
where they got rid of all the trees... the land turned into desert in just a few years. |
| 96. | ZARA: | Garam, you too? My father, Shurahi and the Agricultural
staff all seem to be saying the same thing. Would you mind telling THE ABAH please? It might help. |
| 97. | MUSIC: | BRIDGE MUSIC UP AND CROSS CUT TO... |
|
| 98. | SFX: | MEETING OF ELDERS AT THE PALACE. VOICES. |
| 99. | ABAH MANU: | So to round up, we the elders of Mabudi have decided to
cut the forest down and share the land among all the families. We assure you that there will be no problems. Furthermore ... the trees will be numbered and sold to the highest bidder. High Chief Moleke will advise us on the best wood merchants. Does anyone have anything else to say on this matter? |
| 100. | BABI: | (CLEARING HER THROAT) I Babi... speak on behalf
of the women of Mabudi. We feel that the forest is just sitting there year in year out doing nothing for anyone. Moleke's suggestion to use it will make everyone richer. So we agree that it is a good decision. (CLAPPING AND PRAISE) |
| 101. | YOHANNA: | Your Highness, I have something to say as well. |
| 102. | SFX: | PEOPLE SHOUT HIM DOWN. |
| 103. | ABAH MANU: | Please, let us give everybody a chance to speak. |
| 104. | YOHANNA: | One should not see trouble coming in the distance and invite it to come closer. I do not support clearing the forest to plant vegetables. The forest is fertile only because of the trees and plants in it. |
| 105. | BABI: | Eh? ... So we want to plant more useful plants like
tomatoes... |
| 106. | YOHANNA: | That is not the point. Cutting down the trees will expose the
soil to the hot sun, wind and rain. You will only be able to grow crops on such land for a few seasons before your yields start to drop and the soil becomes degraded and the land barren. |
| 107. | VOICE: | I don't agree, but let us give it a trial and see how many
seasons... |
| 108. | YOHANNA: | (PASSIONATELY) This is another point ... we cannot
put the forest back once it is cleared away. The forest protects against the encroachment of the desert. We may lose our homes and farmland. We will lose all the animals, birds and fruit trees. |
| 109. | ABAH MANU: | So Yohanna, you are more concerned with protecting the
animals than with the prosperity and progress of our people? |
| 110. | YOHANNA: | Your Highness, this is progress and prosperity that will not
last long. It will only bring trouble, hardship, famine ... |
| 111. | BABI: | (CUTTING IN, SHOUTING) Yohanna only wants the
forest kept because he gathers medicinal herbs from it. Who cares about his smelly old concoctions anyway? |
| 112. | ABAH MANU: | (CLEARING HIS THROAT) Babi, that's enough. |
| 113. | BABI: | (IGNORING HIM) People nowadays have enough money
to buy their medicines from modern pharmacies. |
| 114. | ABAH MANU: | (RAISING HIS VOICE) Babi, I said enough! |
| 115. | YOHANNA: | Your Highness, once again I insist that this action should
not take place. The forest is good to us; it protects life, prevents erosion and serves as a windbreak for farms and homes. Please let us consider this action very carefully. |
| 116. | VOICES: | Please - we need prosperity ...Shut up!... Bush herbalist!...
What do you know?... Animals and birds indeed, etc. |
| 117. | MUSIC: | BRIDGE MUSIC UP AND FADE UNDER... |
| THE ABAH and Moleke in his palace |
| 118. | ABAH MANU: | We missed you at the meeting. |
| 119. | MOLEKE: | Your Majesty, I'm sorry I was not able to attend the
meeting. I trust it went well? |
| 120. | ABAH MANU: | Yes yes, of course, Moleke... no problem... it was almost a
unanimous decision. |
| 121. | MOLEKE: | When you say almost I'm sure it was my dear cousin
Yohanna that opposed the motion. |
| 122. | ABAH MANU: | (LAUGHING) Yes, you are right... but don't worry...no
problem... it's all under control. There was a surprise visitor... Garam the merchant came and took Yohanna's side. He says he has seen the desert encroach where forests are cleared like we propose... he was very sure of his facts. (DOUBT CREEPING IN) Well ... we have our facts too, don't we? |
| 123. | MOLEKE: | Completely, inside out. Your Highness, you are so nice and
democratic that you allow every riff-raff to join in the kingdom's decisions. That is true democracy! |
| 124. | ABAH MANU: | Indeed, Moleke... People often take my kindness for
granted. Anyway that was that ... I do have a small matter though that needs taking care of urgently. |
| 125. | MOLEKE: | Your Majesty, your wishes are my commands. |
| 126. | ABAH MANU: | You know Yohanna's daughter? |
| 127. | MOLEKE: | You mean my cousin Yohanna? That will be Zara. |
| 128. | ABAH MANU: | Ah, I wish to take Zara, Yohanna's daughter, as my wife. But Yohanna is not interested. |
| 129. | MOLEKE: | (REASSURINGLY) Your Majesty, is that all? I am as
much Zara's father as Yohanna. This is a small matter. Don't worry - she will marry you...(DEEP AND SINISTER) I will make sure of it. |
| 130. | MUSIC: | THEME MUSIC FADES, HOLDS 0.05, AND FADES UNDER. | |
| 131. | NARRATOR: | Oh dear ... what sinister plans does Moleke have in store
for Zara? I can't imagine Zara and THE ABAH MANU as man and wife. Besides, shouldn't he finish Yohanna's herbs before thinking of a new wife? The bigger problem, however, is that the elders of Mabudi have voted to clear the forest. Apart from Yohanna - whom they almost tore apart - who can save the forest now? Who can save the future of Mabudi? |
| 132. | MUSIC: | THEME MUSIC FADES UP, HOLDS AND FADES
UNDER CLOSING CREDITS. |
